The present invention relates to retaining devices.
Humidifiers in a breathing circuit for a patient are known. In such systems, a sterile liquid is placed in the humidifier with the liquid being heated, and an air mixture is passed from a ventilator through the liquid in order to heat and humidify the air mixture, and the resulting air mixture is passed to the patient.
It is contemplated to automatically refill the humidifier from a liquid retaining reservoir by a double lumen tube which is connected between the reservoir and the humidifier. However, if one of the tubes should inadvertently become detached from the reservoir, the liquid from the reservoir may rapidly pass through the other tube into the humidifier, and the vantilator may pump the excess liquid from the humidifier to the patient which could result in drowning of the patient. Of course, it is desirable to prevent this result.